In, but not of

This morning, we hear Jesus praying for his disciples – that would be us.  He makes what seems to be a rather strange claim.  He states that we "do not belong to the world," that we are not "of the world," any more than Jesus belongs to or is of the world.  How can this be?  Unlike Jesus, we not have a divine nature.   We are not God.  We certainly live in the world.  How can we not be of this world?

The answer is clear in John’s gospel.  We have been redeemed from this world through the gracious, merciful, infinite love of God.  Out of God’s love, we receive his only Son, so that those who believe may not die, but may have eternal life.  As the Father loves Jesus, Jesus loves us, and we are to love one another.  And this love unites us with each other as Jesus is one with the Father.  In this love, God dwells in us, and we in him.

Filled with the infinite love of God, we are free of the need to slavishly seek love and approval from others; free of the need for status; free of the need to put others down to raise ourselves up.

Filled with the infinite love of God, we are free of the need to possess material goods; free of the envy of others' possessions; free of the rivalries which can lead to hatred of our fellow children of God.

Thus freed by the infinite love of God, earthly goods and earthly desires – this is, the world – cannot possess us.  And if the world does not possess us, we do not belong to the world.  We are not of this world.  Yet, Jesus asks the Father to keep us in the world.  Jesus sends us out into the world to continue his mission.

And Jesus' mission is a one of service, as he demonstrated earlier in the Last Supper with the washing of the feet.  Jesus' mission is one of unity, as he prays that we be one as he is one with the Father.  Jesus' mission is one of universal love and charity, reaching all nations, Jew and Greek, slave and free, woman and man.    

Jesus' mission is hard!  In fact, if we decide to remain of this world, it is impossible for us to follow Jesus.  We must have absolute faith in God's love, and thus abide in God and God in us, if we are to have any hope of living our Christian mission.

Jesus knows that we do not share his divine nature.  He knows that we often have difficulty with this gift of love.  For example, when I receive an unexpected gift, I sometimes wonder if there are any strings attached.  I’m thinking, what does this person want from me?  Or, I may look at what I’ve received and wonder if it is as good as what somebody else received.  Why did I receive less?  What do I have to do to get more?

This finite world in which I live, a world of reciprocity, a world of haves and have-nots, becomes part of me ultimately taking possession of me completely.  I reject the gracious and infinite love of God who transcends all worlds, who gave his only Son that we may be one with Him who is all love. 

Thus Jesus finishes his prayer this morning – as we join with him in prayer – for the Father to protect us with his name, to guard us from the evil one, to consecrate us with truth, with his word and with his Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit, enkindle in us the fire of your love.